The latest issue of BBC Wildlife magazine has an interesting article regarding the possibility of lynx reintroduction into the woods of Britain. The most frustrating aspect of the article however was the word on the wildlife 'experts' who were quick to dismiss the possibility that large, exotic cats already roam the wilds of Britain. The usual questions were asked, "Why isn't one caught in a trap ?", "Why aren't they run over ?", it really is a high level of ignorance which was confirmed to me when I received a sighting yesterday from a female witness named Sian who was on a train back from London. Sian is a credible witness who has, in the past had twp encounters with a black leopard near her Rolvenden home and yesterday, before dusk she was fortunate again. Whilst travelling between Paddock Wood and Marden a large, black animal ran across a field about 50 metres away. The animal was not a dog....and it was bigger than an Alsatian. It moved like a cat. Bizarrely, Sian was one of the only people aboard the train to see the animal which pretty much proves just how alert people ARE NOT when it comes to wildlife.

I may sound old fashioned but nowadays commuters seem buried in their iphones, PC's and newspapers, and yet the sight out of the window is far more interesting than the contents of the latest social networking site. Last year only two people on a carriage holding some 30 or so people saw a wild boar in a field so it goes to show the lack of awareness. Being on a train may not seem the most likely place to see a 'big cat' especially as most of the surroundings at times are a blur, but even so, the railway networks cut through the woods of the south-east providing a glimpse inot a habitat rarely seen by the general public. The railway line is perfect for a large cat to navigate by - alongside a railway line there is enough food and cover to hide an elusive predator which is why some sightings take place in back gardens in seemingly unlikely areas such as Strood, Halling, Cuxton etc. Another great place for a large cat to lurk at night is a golf course - not the sort of place people frequent. At the moment investigations are under way in Sevenoaks after some elusive wild boar have been seen damaging a course.

I always advise people when they are a passenger in a car or on a train to scan the hedgerows, treelines etc, because these are the areas where a cat will stalk.

Last saturday I spent many hours, with a friend, sitting out in the vast woods of the North Downs. The area is perfect for a large cat or two to hide. From 11:00 am until the late hours we saw two people all day, a dog walker and someone on a bike, but with the Blue Bell's popping up, the woods provided ample cover for any animal that did not wish to be seen. As the rains came down around dusk, sitting out scanning the hedgerows made for an eerie experience. Nope, we never saw anything, except for a wet fox and a scurrying rabbit...and the intriguing bright eyeshine of an animal that was gone in a second (it wasn't a fox/badger/rabbit - the eye shine was bright and a long way away) but the foreboding woods that stretched as far as the eye could see, just confirmed to me just how naive people are regarding the existence of these animals and the woods we still have. At one point we during mid afternoon we disturbed a resting owl which fluttered off into the trees, we were so close to it and yet never knew it was there until it rushed from the bushes. A large cat could lay up just feet away and not be seen. It reminds me of a recent sighting near Halstow concerning a female witness who was picking berries when she heard a terrible growl which came from the bushes below her. Immediately the woman questioned herself then continued picking until it happened again. When she peered down into the thicket she saw an enormous black cat peering back. This had taken place on a roadside. Cats have a remarkable ability to hide in the most unlikely of places.

Tracking a large cat is difficult but if you can, try to think like the cat, and only then can you give yourself a remote chance of seeing something. If you are fortunate enough to see such an animal I can guarantee  that the experience will stay with you forever.

Well, 2011 has been a busy one and my blog has suffered. I apologise for not keeping up with it but now I am back and so is my next interviewee.

This is Gabriela Margarita Houlgraves or 'Gabby', 34 from Sittingbourne.  Gabby works as a Customer Support Assistant at Maidstone Library.

Our beloved county is the reason I write this blog.  It is the best!

Gabby loves our county to because it is 'so green!'

"This surprises a lot of the people here when I say it.  You all [Kent residents] think it's very, very urbanised, but I just look at the vast fields and meadows.  Always so close and forests everywhere, and think 'Dude, this is the Shire!"

As you can tell from the last part of that quote, Gabby is a Lord of the Rings fan. Everyone needs to have a hobbit!

As part of my 2011 revamp, I have added a question to all my new interviewees which has been instated to find out if the people of Kent have interesting facts or information to share with me.  I always like to learn new things about Kent!

Gabby has selected to inform us about the history of Dover Castle, commissioned to be built by Henry II in the 12th century.

"The tunnels were first dug for the Napoleonic Wars, and then used as a command centre for Operation Dynamo which was the operation set up for rescuing soldiers from Dunkirk.  This is all well known."

This can be found on the English National Heritage website: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk

What was more intriguing was what Gabby relayed next.

"There was also a lower level call 'Dumpy' which was the command centre during the Cold War and it was going to be opened to the public after the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act made it legal to do so.  But English Heritage went under there and found a lot of subsidence and were not as sturdy as the Napoleonic ones and also left in a hurry when the level got decommissioned, so they're not structurally sound. Lovely chalk!"

"And that is why the public won't be allowed down there!"

Gabby feels it is a shame as she would love to go down there and see them.  I would love to see it as well, it sounds fascinating.

We moved on to one of my favourite subjects: FOOD!

Gabby likes to dine at Maggie's cafe on Week Street.  I agree Maggie, whoever she is, does a blinding fried breakfast!

"The wholemeal baguettes and fillings are wonderful, not to mention the salads, the chilli, the cakes and pastries (all home-made) and the staff are the friendliest in town."

Also, Gab enjoys eating at Kitsu, a Tunbridge Wells based place that has, in her words 'The best sushi and teriyaki beef I've ever had."

Equally, Gabby likes an Indian at the Royal Tandoori in Chatham, traditional chips from a chippy in Lenham and her favourite pub is the Ringlestone nr Harrietsham.

We definitely have something in common here!

I always like to be a little bit nosey and find out what my interviewees get up to in their free time.  It feels like I can relate to them if they have something in common with me (in addition to food of course).

"Reading, reading, reading. I can't get enough of books!" Gabby says. "Guess it's lucky I work in a library!"

"I also love visiting English Heritage sites, you see something new every time.  And spending time with family and friends.  Nothing beats a house full of the people you love, all having fun and laughing, sharing life and food & drink."

I think Gabby is a great person, who lives life to the full.  That's the kind of people we need more of in this county to keep up its awesomeness.

This is always my favourite part of the interview: hearing a short story that sums the interviewee up.  I have heard some whoppers since I have been writing this blog - waking up half naked on a beach, buying items such as a bouncy castle on impulse, walking into walls or buying 'Chillis' when you are supposed to buy 'Jelly'.

"I was born in Puerto Rico (in the Caribbean), and I moved to New Orleans to my master's degree.  I still miss New Orleans, every day I'm not there, though I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world but here, in Kent."

That's what I like to hear!

"My first apartment burnt down, soon thereafter, I met Mark (now my husband- he's English, of course), and moved into a lovely shotgun house in New Orleans (For all who are not familiar, it is a narrow, rectangular building)."

"Mark and I got engaged, and i started getting my paperwork for the visa to come here to live and get married. There was a rumour that someone burned down their house near my house to collect the insurance money. The whole block of houses, including mine, burnt down.  I barely had time to grab my cat and laptop and run out of the house.  When I came back to see what was left, almost everything was burnt, except my visa papers and my winter clothes, and a crocheted Afghan my gran had sent me from Puerto Rico."

I want it noted now that Gabby has done fantastically to bounce back from this ordeal where others probably would have rolled over and given up.

"I took that as a sign from God and the Universe that I needed to go with my heart, to Mark and England.  And I didn't look back."

"Do I miss my family and friends from the other side of the Atlantic?  Oh yes!"

"Would I change anything? Not really. I only wish I'd met Mark before so we could have stated our life together sooner and that I had the power to teleport so I could visit my gran and my friends as often as I liked."

What a great story with both highs and lows but an overall outcome that is justly deserved.

It is always important to evolve and progress over time. That is true in both people, nature and our much loved county.  Gabby has some interesting suggestions on how to achieve this.

"I think we should have a better public transport network and it should be more realistically priced, so that people are seen to be quite foolish to take their cars out.  

I agree as I walk every where and think they should pump more money into transportation.

"If the buses and trains took us to where we wanted to go, frequently and cheaply enough, I swear people would give up cars quicker than you can say 'petrol'.  This is particularly true for people in rural locations, who are often quite isolated if they don't have a car.  But even between town centres, the service provision seems almost random!"

I think Gabby talks absolute sense and is valid in that our services are at times extortionate and something needs to be done to preserve the environment for the future generations.

And now to the finale.  My random question of the week.

You hear the four minute warning, you know it will only take you 10 seconds to get into a safe place, what would you do with the other 3 minutes and 50 seconds?

"That's a hash one!  Wow. I wasn't expecting that."

I like this reaction as it is meant to be surprising and awkward to answer.  It is my unique thing!

"I am close to Mark and Sebastian (my son) so I can make sure they're safe with me but even if not, the same applies.  Get as many people as I can into the safe place, hold them close and send a prayer up for the rest of my loved ones and the world!"

Sounds depressing but a nice answer and a good way to round off this sensational lady's interview.

Thank you Gabby for your time and I wish you all the best for the future. This interview has been a pleasure!

Well that's all folks for this week, check in again soon to see who will be my next victi... interviewee!

The most exciting news (allegedly) in Thanet, since the opening of Dreamland in the 1950’s, is the opening of Turner Contemporary in Margate. I was lucky enough to go the press opening on Wednesday 13^th April ahead of the official opening.

Whilst what is on exhibited is quite beautiful, although sparse, the most dramatic scene is the view of the sea from the various galleries which is rather special especially when the sun sets.  

I cannot but feel that this is the wrong location for the right project. This should have been in Whitstable, where it would have been more at home with the population, rather than the still down-at-heel Margate.

Building Turner Contemporary in Margate, is akin to deciding to re-build the iconic Indian Taj Mahal mausoleum in Leytonstone, East London.

I do love Thanet, and in particular Margate, as I have fond childhood memories from the 1970s. But the memories of what Margate was then and is now and what it could be is so contrasting that it could be fiction.

I make an exception though for the following: the outstanding boutique B&B The Reading Rooms, (www.thereadingroomsmargate.co.uk) the Harbour Café Bar, restaurant, The Ambrette (www.theambrette.co.uk), The Lifeboat Ale & Cider House (www.thelifeboat-margate.com), the boutiques and galleries in the Old Town and of course the mildly eccentric  Walpole Bay Hotel, (www.walpolebayhotel.co.uk). I worry that apart from these places, Margate has little to offer the 400 people a day expected to visit Turner Contemporary.

If the not-great attitude I encountered on the telephone with the receptionist, at Turner, is mixed with the ineptitude of the Visit Kent staff (who I feel have ignored Thanet for years) then Margate’s school report should be downgraded from ‘could do better’ to ‘there is little or no improvement here, just yet’.

Margate needs as huge facelift: for starters why not knock that hideous high rise on the seafront down or at least paint it. In fact, why not give grants to paint the entire seafront.  Remove the tacky arcades, and replace them with Victorian-style shopping fronts and make Margate, Margate again.

Then inform certain London local authorities that Thanet will no longer tolerate housing their addicts or delinquents and push hard for a high-speed link to Canterbury - and only then might Margate rise from the ashes and I hope it does, as I love the place.

But as I write this blog, it appears that the Margate’s Big Event, the one with the Red Arrows, might not happen as the money has gone on the Turner, but then again it might have gone on a dozen street football coordinators…

67 Seconds is the amount of time from stepping off one train at Paddock Wood to the Medway Valley line train departing. Lovely in this sort of weather and if it was timetabled that way I'd be quite impressed but, of course, it wasn't.

This evening serious delays were caused on the London Charing Cross to Ashford/Ramsgate line due to a broken down train at Dunton Green. I'll give the guard of my train some credit, he actually came onto the tanoy to announce that he didn't have a clue what was going on but was going to find out and I appreciated that as it was clear that he was dealing with the situation.

Five minutes later we were told it was a train fault at Dunton Green. The journey into Paddock Wood was delayed by 7 minutes but the Medway Valley line service was held - for 67 seconds. Of course, this means that my fellow commuters from London Canon Street and London bridge who got the 17:49 were once again stuck on the cold platform of Paddock Wood.

This evenings delays were simply a follow on of morning delays which are a follow on of last weeks delays. Southeastern are only consistent in their failure.

MPs are on the wrong track to call for Southeastern to be stripped of its franchise.

It’s a kneejerk, populist and opportunistic response to the operator’s less than inspiring performance during the bad weather, and the inflation-busting New Year fare hike.

That’s not to ignore the nightmare for commuters in the snow. They had a horrible time. Some were trapped for hours on end, and Southeastern’s communications system, although better than a year ago, still left many travellers unaware of what was happening.

Southeastern does not deserve to be pilloried for a situation that was largely out of its control. It is stuck with an unsuitable third rail system that it would love to replace if billions of pounds were available. Network Rail looks after the track and any failure to clear snow is down to them.

The infrastructure owner did itself no favours by taking de-icing trains out of service just before the big freeze arrived. But at least it invested in heating strips in several Kent blackspots which appeared to help a little in the second snowfall. Southeastern’s information system was not great, especially at stations, but its website bulletins were unusally up-to-date.

The National Rail Inquiries site often took the wrong data. Given the horrendous conditions that affected rail services across the rest of Europe and the limitations of third rail, they did not do too badly. As for fare hikes, blame the Government which is progressively slashing subsidy.

The new coalition government raised the fare cap. Southeastern scored an own goal by failing to separate punctuality rates of high-speed from those of the traditional service.

By announcing a level fractionally above the 82 per cent compensation threshold, thanks to high-speed performance, they looked mean. It would have been good PR, if less good for the bottom line, to have split the two and awarded compensation to hard-pressed customers on traditional services.

But let’s not forget what Southeastern has achieved. Remember Connex and the nightmare it inflicted on passengers? Southeastern has improved the service no end. Before the snow, punctuality rates were pretty good. Its introduction of the superb high-speed service has been exemplary.

It plays a key role in the Kentish economy and takes an interest in its fortunes through sponsorship and community involvement. It will be crucial in the efficient transportation of people to and from the Olympic site at Stratford. Why risk a generally improving service by getting rid of an operator that is more often right than wrong?

There are many worse systems than Southeastern. Yes, there are lessons for Southeastern to learn, but let’s praise them for what they have achieved, and remember that many of the problems cited by MPs and others were not of their making.

Commuters in the Medway Towns are seething about the fares increases they faced this week thanks to SouthEastern trains.

What they may be unaware about is those hard-headed businessmen that run the trains have a heart after all.

Every time you buy a season ticket on Southern trains, a charity benefits.

I know - charity begins at home. But there is a soft spot somewhere deep in Southern.

They have a list of charities they support, and each time a ticket is sold they contribute to charity..

Just think - one per cent from each ticket would mean worthy causes like cancer research, children's care services, heart research would be £33 if SouthEastern did the same.

It would certainly be over thirty quid, anyway. A fraction more - say the equivalent of a pound a week - would be magnanimous behaviour we could all praise.

It's only when you read the small print that you discover the soft hearts at Southern are ruled by the hard heads.

They are far from giving a quid a week, or even one per cent of the total take.

In fact, those worthy charities they support - the Railway Children which provides food, shelter, healthcare and education for children living on the streets, and the Rockinghorse Appeal to make Sussex hospitals more child-friendly - benefit to the tune of one single, paltry pound.the internet and is only an annual ticket.

What's more, good old munificent Southern trains doesn't cough up the cash to these worthy causes unless the ticket is bought on

I'll bet that keeps the politicians away from their doors, and soften the self-centred commuters who seem only to think of their own pay packets......

You will be delighted to know that our own railway company, SouthEastern, is lacks its neighbour's skills of parsimony. It simply keeps all the money it screws out of commuters.

I've a distinct feeling of deja vu even though the new year is only a few days old.

Why? Well, Kent MPs are back on Southeastern's case, this time raising concerns about its claim to have reached punctuality targets that means it does not have to give season ticket holders a discount.

The reason why some MPs are uneasy is that the company did indeed pass the threshold but only by the narrowest of margins. 2010 was a pretty miserable year for rail travellers in the region and I get the distinct impression that MPs have pretty much had enough of Southeastern and feel that even if it is strictly within the terms under which discounts are offered, it is rubbing salt in the wounds of long-suffering commuters who have endured delays and cancellations.

It looks increasingly likely that our MPs are moving to some kind of collective position that calls - as a minimum step - on the government to prevent Southeastern being granted an extension to its franchise after 2012.

Beyond redemption - one Kent MP's view of Southeastern>>>

A couple have already gone public with calls for it to be stripped of the contract (Thanet North's Roger Gale and Rochester and Strood's Mark Reckless, who labelled the company in characteristically uncompromising language as 'beyond redemption'). Meanwhile, the Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clarke told me in carefully chosen words that when the government came to any view about the franchise "the quality of service to the customer is an important factor" and Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch has today written to the secretary of state for transport asking for an independent audit of Southeatern's punctuality claims.

Political predictions are tricky but I wouldn't bet against the government deciding that it too has had enough of Southeastern, particularly if - as seems inevitable - we get more bouts of bad weather and restles MPs representing heartland constituencies continue to demand that "something be done".

Well, now the Christmas period is over and the ice and snow are finally melting, I can get back to interviewing you fine people of Kent.

This is Mark Wickens, 25 from Maidstone.

Mark is an Airline Pilot and has spent time abroad training.

In his free time he enjoys visiting the gym and most recently Horse Racing.

"This is largely down to my brother who is an avid fan."

Unfortunately he is also a big Arsenal fan so rightly he receives a ribbing from his mates about their weekly performance.  What must be more sickening is that their London rivals Tottenham have notched up a victory against them, meaning one of Mark's Spurs supporting mates has bragging rights.

Kent, in Mark's opinion, is in a good location and is far away enough from major cities for it to be a calm place.

"Kent is relatively quiet and tranquil but equally there is lots to see and do in the vicinity should you want to make the short trip from home."

Again, like Katie a few weeks ago, Mark has selected a Bearsted eating spot as his first choice when eating out.

"I am a fan of The Oak on the Green.  The food is all freshly cooked and very tasty."

In his free time he claims not to be a film buff but after reading his quote, I would question it.

"I am slightly ashamed to admit that I have not been to the cinema for about 4 years. However, I really liked the original Matrix and Closer. I also enjoy a bit of James Bond (don't we all).  I've also seen Top Gun more times than I can remember.

Mark has great determination to succeed and the story he has told me about himself only proves that.

"About 4 or 5 years ago, I was working as a Store Designer for a large retail company which I very much enjoyed but I decided that I wanted to do something really rewarding with my life and move in a completely different direction."

"I decided that I wanted to follow my aspirations of becoming an Airline Pilot. It was a big decision and a massive commitment from both a training point of view and a financial aspect.  But some three years down the road and I have been very fortunate to have recently landed a job with one of Europe's largest airlines."

I am with Mark on this one as this blog is one of my steps towards being a writer. Mark has some good advice for anyone chasing a dream.

"I am a big fan of making your own luck in life and like to encourage others to follow their dreams and do whatever it is that they want to do.  As long as you are prepared to give up pretty much everything else, and maybe a bit more, as well as the resolve to keep going whatever the circumstances then you will make it!"

As always, I like to find out what the people of Kent think about improvement to our county and more importantly, ways to implement them.

"I personally think that Kent and Maidstone's public transport leaves a lot to be desired. Being a car person, naturally I am reluctant to get out and onto public transport. Why does it still take over an hour to get to London Victoria."

"It's also not particularly flexible or practical for lots of journeys."

Mark's suggestion is a good one and I also believe that our public transport should be refreshed and updated.

"I would like to see a vast improvement in this area as I would like to do my bit for the environment but I don't want to be out of pocket as a result of choosing to use public transport."

As always at this stage of the interview, I like to round it off with a random question of the week and this one is in-keeping with the festive season.

If you could have any Christmas present, exempt expense, what would be and why?

"Well, my weakness is cars and my favourite car ever is the Ferrari F50. I absolutely love it! I have wanted one as long as I can remember and I was fortunate enough to sit in one many years ago, however I never could afford one so I would definitely ask Santa for one of those."

I would like to thank Mark for his time in talking to me and I would like to wish my fellow Kentish men (and women) a very Happy New Year!  

If you live in Kent, let's talk!

If you would like to appear on my blog, all I ask is that you live in Kent and that you are willing to talk to me for 10 - 15 minutes about yourself.

If you think you'd like to give it a try, drop me an email on millendauthor@gmail.com and we will see what we can do!

Travelling on the high speed train from London to Kent this week with the fields covered in thick snow I could have been in Switzerland or even Narnia. Even North Kent looks beautiful in the snow…

I was reading in the Kent Gazette that our MP Julian Brazier has gone from the lowest claimer of expenses to the highest in the county. Here lies my issue: I had great respect for this man before the election as he was allegedly slaving away in a room above a pub in south London, which was not expensive. However, with the advent of the high speed train there is no excuse to now claim for a second home on the off chance that on a handful of occasions Parliament might end that night after the trains have stopped. Tough. If that is going to happen then drive up and park the car. I am sorry but Whitstable to London is easily commutable and I think there is little need to claim for a second home on the few off chances of a late finish.

My wife (www.lynnettepeck.com) has always wanted to open a vintage fashion shop after being a fashion and beauty magazine journalist for many years. By chance we were in Margate Old Town (an oasis in the middle of the Margate desert) and we noticed in the window of an estate agent a shop for rent in the Old Town. To cut a long story short the agent was not great and had little idea of the underlying property rental values for retail in the area. To cap it all, the landlord wanted to raise the current rent by 20% for the first year, only for it be raised a further 10% the following year. The landlords reason being that the Turner Contemporary Gallery is opening in April 2011 near by. You would not need an abacus to work out that this kind of rent is priced too high and that start up businesses could then fail. If the previous business failed on the current lower rent, then what is the point? Needless to say we passed on this terrible deal and are now looking in Sandwich instead.

I hear that BBC South East did a special TV report on how Margate has one of the highest amounts of vacant retail units in the country and The Sun newspaper did a piece on Margate’s ‘dole culture’ and the fact that next year is going to be just as tough financially. The landlord in Margate Old Town should check these investigations out and have a re-think! He is banking on the fact the Turner Contemporary Gallery is going to metaphorically turn one of the Ugly Sisters into Cinderella (and that is not the version of the story I remember) and that all the bars in Margate will suddenly be filled with people drinking Chardonnay. This will not happen overnight. I love Margate, I have a few flats there I rent out, but I also know parts of it are currently still a dump and having a new gallery and the high speed train is not going to transform this town overnight into something that its not. I am not saying it will not happen, because it will eventually,and the huge white elephant might become Margate’s saving grace - but do not hold your breath.

Protests about the proposed route of High Speed 2 from London to the Midlands and the North will provoke hollow laughter in Kent. I remember reporting on marches from South Darenth and Sutton-at-Hone that demonstrated fierce opposition to the initial route.

There was the admission that a map had been drawn up on an official’s dining room table using out of date information and putting the route through a new housing estate near Blue Bell Hill, Chatham. When a Mid Kent Parkway station was proposed between Medway and Maidstone, there was an outcry that the “green lung” would be removed and prompt the creation of a “Medstone” or “Maidway” conurbation.

There was dismay with the proposal to put the link down the pretty Nashenden Valley. When construction started, there was outrage over the “scar on the landscape.”

I can hardly remember a good thing being said about the proposed railway, wherever it went. Maidstone council bowed to this anti-sentiment and voted not to have anything to do with what eventually became HS1 And yet, and yet...

Taking a lesson from the French city of Lille, which battled for the TGV line to go through its heart, Ashford council fought tooth and nail to have the service re-routed through the centre of the town. Look what that decision has done to the prosperity and potential of the town.

Commuter journeys have been transformed. Look at the potential for regeneration in Dover, Margate and Folkestone from the presence of what is a brilliant service on state-of-the-art Hitachi trains. Look at the great advertisement for the county. Kent, a railway back-marker since the 1800s, is no longer on the wrong side of the tracks.

While third-rail trains were stuck in the snow, HS1 kept on rolling. More than seven million passengers took HS1 in its first year and I bet that figure will be a lot higher next year. It is a powerful economic driver for the county, raises our game and is proving a powerful incentive for firms to move to the county.

Just as 19th century steam trains and track came to blend into the countryside, with pressure groups lobbying to preserve threatened lines, so the railway that sparked so much protest in Mid and North West Kent is now part of our landscape. Nothing much to protest about now. The engineers did a great job.

Maidstone is left on the sidelines, now pleading for a high-speed station that was once there for the taking. Prosperity is slowly shifting to Ashford and will in time flow to Dover, Margate and Folkestone. House prices will rise disproportionately in towns with good access to the trains. A Manston Parkway station is on the cards.

HS2 protesters should look to the Kent experience and see that while they should ensure the route is tweaked here and there, and tunnelled under beautiful places, there is so much to gain from high-speed rail in terms of greener travel and greater convenience in a modern world. Things we fear in advance often come to be loved. In a 100 years’ time, HS2 and HS1 will be celebrated as much as the steam railways of another era.